Brands and businesses of all sizes are trying to make their space in the virtual world by doing things differently. Long gone are the days when business owners used boring text and couple of stock pictures to describe their idea and venture. In the fast changing world, web entrepreneurs are expecting more from the designing community in terms of creativity, uniqueness and functionality.

While requirements vary with need, below are some trends that have gained popularity in recent times and might prevail in future as well;

Simplistic trend

Design clients presently prefer websites that are simple yet reflective of their brand. The overall theme usually takes inspiration from something brand-intrinsic; it can be the company logo, ideology or brand representative character. For instance, a company operating in the field of green technology can ask for a green vector based background to reflect its commitment of environment. Such simplistic websites usually limit the usage of stock images and instead ask for custom graphics.

Negative-space trend

Brands nowadays want their websites to breathe, and they are accomplishing this by cutting short endless text. They have realized that ‘more’ can be conveyed by saying ‘less’ and thus the demand for neat platforms with ample white/negative space is steadily growing. The term whitespace (or negative space) literally refers to any area of a page not covered by type or illustrations. Negative spaces add radiance to the website and divert attention to points that really matter.

Trimmed navigation trend

More and more people are talking about navigation that focuses on only the most important website elements. Navigation bar is still preferred at the top of the page with horizontal dropdown menu rather than a vertical one. However, there is disagreement about the number of clickable elements in the bar. Too many simply confuses the visitor; too few pose a challenge to show the left ones. For the record, trimmed navigation is fast gaining acceptance.

Mobile trend

It is well known that personal computer is no longer the king. Mobiles and tablets have arrived in a big way and businesses realize this. This justifies the growing requests for websites that can work on smart devices without falling apart.

Responsive design is gaining popularity, and there is simply no sign to signify that the trend is going to change any time soon.

Custom design trend

With more and more businesses joining web community, the pressure to differentiate oneself is at its prime. This justifies the diminishing respect for template based websites. Much to the relief of everyone, custom design has finally arrived. Business owners seem to have realized the benefits of custom design and how it helps in the long run.

Trends will come and go but the value of usability rich and brand focused websites will never diminish. To give their ideas the best design treatment, young entrepreneurs are making sure that they jump in the market with a master platform. This is justified logically as well because website developed with special attention to branding and business objectives successfully carves its niche in the cluttered web realm.